# NEW Stupid Republican Idea of the Day (Part 1) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 22, 2020, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140 "2020-06-22T07:01:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 323
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/6463 "2021-07-26T21:29:48Z")
Play stupid games; win stupid prizes. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/6464 "2021-07-26T22:13:29Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Anti-mask Congresscreature Clay Higgins announced he has covid for the second time Apparently with no confirmation that he had it the first time: > [@](#): > > "[… Wife] Becca and I had COVID before, early on, in January 2020, before the world really knew what it was,” Higgins writes. “So, this is our second experience with the CCP biological attack weaponized virus.” > > January 2020 would place Higgins as one of the earliest known cases in the U.S. He does not elaborate in the statement how he was diagnosed with Covid-19 then, when he learned about it, or how he got it. Given his strikingly evident credulous dickwaddery in general, I wouldn’t place a whole lot of faith in his unsupported assertion that he actually had COVID in January 2020. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/6465 "2021-07-26T22:18:17Z")
Survivor of the Parkland attack says his father thinks that he, the son, was part of a false flag operation and the attack never happened. > **[Parkland Survivor’s Father Thinks Shooting Was A Hoax Because Of MTG](https://uproxx.com/viral/parkland-survivor-father-thinks-shooting-hoax-because-marjorie-taylor-greene-qanon/)** > > Due to Marjorie Taylor Greene’s antics (she harassed David Hogg), a Parkland survivor says his own father thinks the shooting was a hoax. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/6466 "2021-07-26T22:21:30Z")
JD Vance says parents should get an extra vote per child. Not clear if the parents get to split the votes, or both parents get a vote per child. > **[J.D. Vance: How About We Give Parents Extra Votes?](https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/07/j-d-vance-maybe-parents-should-get-more-votes.html)** > > The Senate candidate’s trollish proposal is just the flip side of Republicans’ usual thinking on voter suppression. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/6467 "2021-07-26T22:27:05Z")
Me, either. My parents are both convinced they had it in early November 2019, when they claim it “ripped” through their community. I know there was a particularly virulent strain of cold virus making the rounds then. I know, because I got it myself in early February 2020. I was sick for 6 weeks. I never had a cold like that. But I knew it wasn’t COVID. Wrong symptoms. I suspect my parents got the same thing. It doesn’t seem to help when I point out to them that the CDC pegs the earliest date COVID could have been spreading in the country was late January/early February 2020. Just nuts. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/6468 "2021-07-26T22:30:27Z")
Y’know, if I genuinely thought that this thing was an engineered bioweapon, that’d make me much more likely to wear masks, keep distance, and get a vaccine as soon as possible. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/6469 "2021-07-26T22:35:52Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Given his strikingly evident credulous dickwaddery in general, I wouldn’t place a whole lot of faith in his unsupported assertion that he actually had COVID in January 2020 He lied. Let’s call it what it is. A bald-faced outrageous lie. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/6470 "2021-07-26T22:37:28Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Y’know, if I genuinely thought that this thing was an engineered bioweapon, that’d make me much more likely to wear masks, keep distance, and get a vaccine as soon as possible. So true. It’s like they’re all “It’s a bioweapon from China, and just to show them, I won’t get a vaccine, and spread it to everyone just like they want! That’ll teach them a lesson!” ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/6471 "2021-07-26T22:46:19Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > > “No public figure should be accosted regardless of their political persuasion or beliefs simply due to the intolerance of another point of view,” the [Fox News] spokesperson said. > > Isn’t that Tucker Carlson’s whole schtick? 🤨 > > But now we’re supposed to think it’s okay for Tucker Carlson to go on international TV and publicly berate people he doesn’t know and has never met but (thinks he) disagrees with, but it’s wrong for anyone to berate him to his face in public? … Tucker Carlson has a history of urging his viewers to engage in active physical confrontation: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/yXmeHuR9M9U/maxresdefault.jpg "Tucker Carlson encourages viewers to confront those wearing masks") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXmeHuR9M9U) As you note, this is in line with the Wilhoit observation on “conservative” hypocrisy-as-fundamental-tenet. - ETA: hmn, used to be that doing any edit would bring down the size of a link’s embedded graphic. Didn’t happen today; apologies for inflicting that face on readers of the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/6472 "2021-07-26T22:51:40Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > apologies for inflicting that face on readers of the thread Yeah, that inflamed pustule should be spoilered or something 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/6473 "2021-07-26T22:59:03Z")
Yeah. For me it’s the smug self-satisfaction that annoys. Off-topic a bit, but I’ve always wondered why Jon Stewart’s 2004 take-down of Carlson—which sidelined Carlson for a good decade, until he started to resurge when the prime-time slot on Fox opened up—can’t be replicated: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/GooQwKDMqcI/hqdefault.jpg "Jon Stewart on Crossfire with Tucker Carlson | October 15, 2004") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GooQwKDMqcI) And for good measure, a worthy attempt by John Oliver: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/XMGxxRRtmHc/maxresdefault.jpg "Tucker Carlson: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMGxxRRtmHc) ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/6474 "2021-07-26T23:08:21Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Survivor of the Parkland attack says his father thinks that he, the son, was part of a false flag operation and the attack never happened. > > [Parkland Survivor's Father Thinks Shooting Was A Hoax Because Of MTG](https://uproxx.com/viral/parkland-survivor-father-thinks-shooting-hoax-because-marjorie-taylor-greene-qanon/) Is she that charismatic to some people? I… don’t see it. I can kind of wrap my head around someone several states away with no personal ties going with the conspiracy theory. But to believe her? over your own child? who could have died? Is it the speaker or the listener? What does that to people? ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/6475 "2021-07-26T23:14:58Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > Yeah. For me it’s the smug self-satisfaction that annoys. Also OT a bit, but have you noticed they all look like that? Carlson, Hannity, Gaetz, Cawthorn, Jordan, DeSantis, Gosar, they all have the most self-entitled, weenie-like punchable faces! You can clock one almost without even hearing him speak. Come to think of it, MTG looks like that, too, so it’s not gender-specific. ---
**Author:** ![SwissMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@SwissMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwissMan)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/6476 "2021-07-26T23:28:44Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > Off-topic a bit, but I’ve always wondered why Jon Stewart’s 2004 take-down of Carlson—which sidelined Carlson for a good decade, until he started to resurge when the prime-time slot on Fox opened up—can’t be replicated In 2004, Tucker was trying to be part of the mainstream. Nowadays, he is playing solely to people who display the personality traits of cult members. They aren’t going to listen to any critics of their dear leader and will reject any information that puts him in a bad light out of hand. ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/6477 "2021-07-26T23:41:48Z")
My boss’ sister-in-law passed away in November 2019. The family thinks it might have been COVID-related, as the symptoms that lead to her death were a sudden pulmonary collapse. Of course, the SIL was in the hospital for advanced cancer (I forget what kind) so it would be extremely hard to know for sure. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2021, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/6478 "2021-07-27T00:01:16Z")
I’m going to go with ‘pulmonary collapse unrelated to COVID’. It does happen. My late husband died due to a pulmonary embolism. In 2007. Unrelated to COVID. I looked at everything I could find that would indicate COVID was in the USA prior to late January. The evidence just doesn’t exist. As I pointed out to my parents, there is zero corresponding evidence in their county’s statistics that would indicate COVID was present there. No elevation of either the death or hospitalization rates. The very earliest assertion was late December, but according to the experts, it was more likely due to false positives from other SARS related viruses. Plus, my parents forget I was the first person to whom they described their symptoms when we agreed we all had the same thing (though we lived in different states). Over a period of months, I noticed the symptoms they described shifted to be more COVID-like. But that was an evolution in their minds – not how they described their symptoms in the moment. We are all creatures of the power of suggestion. For now, I’ll rely on the dearth of hard evidence to draw my conclusions. I’ll bet you will, too. ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2021, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/6479 "2021-07-27T00:10:37Z")
> [@Aspenglow](#): > > We are all creatures of the power of suggestion. For now, I’ll rely on the dearth of hard evidence to draw my conclusions. I’ll bet you will, too. Yeah, pretty much. Like I said, the SIL was in bad shape – a stray staphylococcus could have done her in. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2021, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/6480 "2021-07-27T00:36:03Z")
But won’t the extra of daylight contribute to global warming? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2021, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/6481 "2021-07-27T00:51:04Z")
There’s also the matter that covid spreads quickly. If there really were cases in the US in November, then by January there would have been lots of cases in the US, enough that it’d be impossible not to notice them. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2021, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/6482 "2021-07-27T01:17:45Z")
I can anecdotally say that there must have been some kind of strong cold virus going around in late 2019 - that December I got an infection where I all but lost my voice for a week, my sinuses were inflamed and putting pressure on my face, and I was having the kind of aggressive coughing fits I usually only get when my asthma is acting up. When covid reared its head, I thought I must have had it because it’s very rare for me to get that sick, but I got an antibody test when they became available and it came up negative. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140.md?page=322) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140.md?page=324)